That evening.
The sunset tinged the twilight.
Trainers from the arena helped each other as they painfully walked out the main gate.
Some had jackets tied around their waists, wearing what looked like the rather trendy ripped jeans from the Unova Region, with gloomy expressions and hurried steps, occasionally twitching at the corners of their eyes.
"Such a beautiful view after a struggle!"
Baimu sighed as he watched their departing backs.
Kendall, who had changed his pants, stood next to him and remained silent upon hearing this.
The afternoon competition ran a round every five minutes, and if neither side answered, both would be chased and bitten, which caused most people to be pursued by the Lycanroc Leader and other Lycanrocs.
Some ran twice and were so exhausted that they simply lay on the ground without getting up, only to be forcefully turned over and bitten by the Lycanrocs.
Insane!
And perhaps to avoid biting until blood was drawn, the Lycanrocs, after a few bites, started pulling at pants, not even sparing the few female trainers. Some ended up nearly half-exposed.
Laugh?
No one dared to laugh.
Not to mention the chilling screams of colleagues. If anyone laughed, they'd be next. Known for his sharp eyes, Baimu made everyone reluctantly observe the competition intently and remember the correct answers given after errors.
Because the probability of Pokémon reappearing increased towards the end, and with good luck, one might avoid being chased and bitten by the Lycanrocs.
To put it bluntly, the screams in the arena hadn't stopped since the afternoon.
Baimu smiled at Kendall and said, "I hope we all come back neatly tomorrow."
"I'll try to persuade them..."
"No need. No pain, no gain. From today's competition, it's clear that despite spending so much time together, you barely have a basic understanding of your colleagues' Pokémon. The effort of the Pokémon alone is not enough; the trainers must work hard too."
He turned and said, "We're all adults and have the right to make our own choices. If it's not out of one's own willingness, further persuasion is pointless, and learning would be twice the effort for half the result."
Kendall sighed at this but said nothing more.
What could he say?
It's a great honor that the captain of the Rainbow Team would leave his team, take the time to come and teach them how to become stronger!
They didn't even need to pay any price; just listening was enough.
Even falling pies from the sky aren't that generous.
Is being chased and bitten embarrassing?
Yes, it is embarrassing!
But why does losing to others feel even more embarrassing? The people Baimu brought almost all won!
Kendall recalled the resentful words he overheard at the lounge door.
What a pity.
Not everyone could understand Baimu's good intentions.
This was the last time Kendall spoke for his former colleagues; he decided to think more for himself moving forward. After being appreciated by Ying Yuan, this might mark a new turning point in his life.
He must hold on tight!
Inside the arena.
The Lycanrocs contentedly counted the Poké Blocks in their claws, as they usually did nothing but plant grass. Being able to come and run freely, biting human behinds was quite fun.
"Awoo~"
"Awo!"
They waved their claws to bid farewell to Hoopa, diving one after another into the Light Wheel.
"Goodbye! Come again tomorrow!" Hoopa waved cheerfully.
Tomorrow...
Watching them leave, Ying Ma guarded his behind with lingering fear; he had been chased the most, losing almost every battle, his former Underground City arena master dignity all but gone.
But he was too ashamed to be angry.
Especially seeing that Cheng Hong, whom he'd drunk under the table yesterday, hadn't run even once. Any remaining frustration all boiled down to his own shame of lacking knowledge.
Ying Yuan looked at his resentful underling and shook his head quietly.
Even as a bystander, the tense competitive atmosphere helped him quickly memorize many Pokémon facts he had never known before, and he reckoned that those who had been chased would remember even more clearly.
"Baimu, boss!"
He stood up and looked at Baimu as he returned, "What's the plan for tonight—"
"There's no need for tonight, I still have my own things to do, and after a whole day, I need some personal time." Baimu quickly declined.
Good grief!
Zhou Bapi couldn't even do this!
Perhaps to Ying Yuan, it seemed like Baimu was preparing to train a team to "conquer" other arenas, and spending as much time as needed was worthwhile.
But in reality, he had no such intention.
Implementing this training method on the first day served both as a personnel filter and to achieve optimal results with minimal time.
He wouldn't expect the people at Pyrite Arena to be able to beat other arena bosses in just a few dozen days, but at least, in battles of champions or kings, they shouldn't be weaker than those from other arenas.
"I have some things to attend to tomorrow morning; I'll let Cheng Hong know about the exact arrangements."
Baimu called over the only somewhat reliable young man by his side.
Ying Yuan glanced at Cheng Hong and nodded, "Understood."
"Boss Ying Yuan, please take care of me!"
Cheng Hong bowed slightly.
The reason for not entrusting Ayana was mostly due to the arena trainers seemingly having some resistance against her.
Baimu knew that during the past six months, the arena trainers had probably clashed with the Rainbow Team multiple times.
The outcome was predictable.
If the Rainbow Team were to suffer setbacks, they wouldn't have such a high reputation.
He glanced around, focusing particularly on Ayana, who sat silently with her head down on a bench, with no intention of comforting her. Ayana's personality required some time alone.
Besides, wasn't there Quagsire?
Isn't the concern from one's own Pokémon more comforting than that from others?